Method of sealing a bathing or shower cap to the head of the wearer

ABSTRACT

A tape of predetermined length including a base strip, a first adhesive on one side of the base strip for attachment to the inner surface of a bathing or shower cap around the opening therein; and a second adhesive on the other side of the base strip for attachment to the skin of the cap user to seal entry of water into the cap during use. The tape is provided separately from the cap and further includes two elongated cover strips respectively covering the adhesives on the opposite sides of the base strip. In use, one cover strip is removed to expose the underlying adhesive for attaching the tape to the cap. The cap is then placed on the head and the other strip is removed for sealing the tape to the skin. Indicia is provided on one or both cover strips to indicate which side of the tape should be applied to the cap or skin of the user. Additionally, tabs are provided at the opposite ends of the cover strips for facilitating removal thereof.

United States Patent [191 Jones Dec. 10, 1974 METHOD OFSEALING A BATHING OR SHOWER CAP TO THE HEAD OF THE WEARER Inventor: Jane P. Jones, 1316 Fenwick Ln.,

Apt. 207, Silver Spring, Md. 20910 Filed: Nov. 21, 1973 Appl. No.: 417,864

Related [1.8. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 232,953, March 8, 1972,

abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. 68,893, Sept. 2, 1970, abandoned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Langs Banks et a1. Saunders Bozocos 2/68 Saunders 2/68 X Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Browne, Beveridge, DeGrandi & Kline 57 ABSTRACT A tape of predetermined length including a base strip, a first adhesive on one side of the base strip for attachment to the inner surface of a bathing or shower cap around the opening therein; and a second adhesive on the other side of the base strip for attachment to the skin of the cap user to seal entry of water into the cap during use. The tape is provided separately from the cap and further includes two elongated cover strips respectively covering the adhesives on the opposite sides of the base strip. In use, one cover strip is removed to expose the underlying adhesive for. attaching the tape to the cap. The cap is then placed on the head and the other strip is removed for sealing the tape to the skin. lndicia is provided on one or both cover strips to indicate which side of the tape should be applied to the cap or skin of the user. Additionally, tabs are provided at the opposite ends of the cover strips for facilitating removal thereof.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEDBEBWU" 4 SIDE CAP INVENTOR JANE P. JONES BY z @had ATTORNEYS 7 user. Additionally,

METHOD OF SEALING A BATHING OR-SHOWER CAP TO THE HEAD OF THE WEARER BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In bathing or showering with caps, there has always been the problem of sealing the interior of the cap against entry of water to prevent damage to the hair and hair style as well as entry of water into the ears.

One attempt to solve this problem appears in U.S. Pat. No. to Saunders 2,730,720 wherein an adhesive is manufactured on the inside of the cap adjacent the open edge thereof to seal against the skin. However, repeated use of the Saunders cap will render the adhesive less and less tacky until it no longer can provide the desired sealing function.

One apparent improvement over the Saunders cap is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,805 to Bozocos wherein a tape having an adhesive on one side is applied to the external surface of the cap along the edge to seal the interior of the cap against entry of water. However the adhesive is applied to only one side of the tape and the tape must be applied to the external surface of the cap thereby highly detracting from the appearance 'of the cap on the user. Moreover with the Bozocos arrangement, the tape is exposed to the water which tends to cause the tape to become dislodged durmg use.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel tape and method of applying same to a bathing or shower cap, which tape and method overcome the above noted problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel tape which may be applied to any conventional bathing cap in order to seal the interior thereof against water during use and without detracting from the appearance of the cap on the user.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION In one embodiment of the present invention the above objects are achieved in a tape of predetermined length including a base strip, a first adhesive substance on one side of the base strip for attachment to the inner surface of a bathing or shower cap around the opening therein; and a second adhesive on the other side of base strip for attachment to the skin of the cap user to prevent entry of water into the cap during use.'The tape is provided separately from the cap and further includes two elongated cover'strips respectively covering the'adhesives on opposite sides of the base strip. In use, one cover strip is removed to expose the underlying adhesive for attaching the tape to the cap. After the tape is attached to the cap, the cap is then placed on the head of the userand the other cover strip is removed for exposing the second adhesive which may then be adhered to the skin of the user to seal the interior of the cap against entry of water. Suitable indicia is provided on one or both of the cover strips to indicate which side of the tape should be applied to the cap or skin of the tabs are provided at the opposite endsof the cover strips for facilitating removal thereof.

The adhesives may be any suitable conventional adhesives suitable for adhering to the skin of the user in one instance and in the other suitable for attachment to the substance of the cap; which substance may be rubber, plastic or cloth material.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bathing or shower cap containing a tape in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the tape with an intermediate portion broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown for illustration only, a bathing cap 10 to which a tape 12 constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, has been applied. Cap 10 may be any conventional cap of any design, it being understood that the shown cap is for illustrating the invention only. I

Tape 12 is provided separately from the cap in predetermined lengths such as may range from 20 to 26 inches, to fit caps of various sizes. Tape 12 includes an elongated rectangular base strip 14 approximately onehalf inch in width. One side of the base strip 14 has an adhesive substance 16 thereon throughout its entire width and length for adhering to the inside surface of view of the tape taken cap 10 around the peripheral edge thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1. Any suitable water resistant adhesive which will strongly adhere to the surface of the cap to form an airtight seal may be employed; it being understood that in most cases the cap will be made from a rubber or plastic substance. The other side of base strip 14 has another adhesive substance 18 throughout its entire length and width for adhering to the skin of the user. Adhesive 18 should also be water resistant and moreover of the type that will not injure the users skin. Inasmuch as any well known or commercially available adhesives may be employed, it is not necessary to describe the detailed chemical formula of the adhesive substances.

As described above, adhesive tape 12 is provided separately from the cap, and to cover adhesive substances 16 and 18 prior to using the tape, a pair of elongated rectangular cover strips 20 and 22 are provided on opposite sides of base strip 14 in overlying and coextensive relationship with the opposite sides thereof. To facilitate removal of the cover strips 20 and 22, one or both of their ends is provided with a tab 24 and-26 respectively which may be grasped to peel cover strips 20 and 22 from the base strip 14 as will be further described. In instances where the adhesivesubstances l6 and 18 are made from different materials respectively suitable for adhering to the cap and the skin of the user, one or both of the cover strips 20 and 22 are provided with indicia for indicating which adhesive should be applied to the cap, as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

In use, cover strip 20 is first'removed from the tape to expose adhesive 16 after which the tape may be applied to the interior of the cap with the adhesive 16 engaging the cap surface. The cap may then be applied to the users head after which cover strip 22 may be removed to expose adhesive 18 which may then be pressed intoengagement with the skin of the user throughout the edge of the cap to form a watertight seal which will prevent entry of water into the interior of the cap. When it is desired to use the cap again, the tape may be removed and replaced by another or the same tape may be retained on the cap for reuse as long as adhesive 18 is still sufficiently tacky to provide the desired seal.

It will thus be seen that the present invention not only provides a separate tape for use in connection with any bathing or shower cap, but moreover the tape is entirely concealed when the cap is worn during use. Moreover, the present invention permits two different adhesives to be employed on the tape; one which will be particularly suitable for use in adhering to the substance of the cap and the other adhesive particularly suitable for use in adhering to the skin of the user. Furthermore, the tape of the present invention may be sold separately from the caps at relatively low retail prices to enable it to be disposed after a single use if desired.

1 claim: l. A method of sealing a bathing or shower cap cover strips overlying the adhesives respectively, removing one of the coverstrips to expose the first adhesive, securing the tape to the cap by adhering the exposed adhesive to the inside surface of the cap adjacent the open edge thereof continuously throughout, placing the cap on the head of the user in use position and then removing the other cover strip to expose the second adhesive while the cap is on the users head in use position, adhering the second adhesive to the skin of the user throughout to seal the interior of the cap against water, and then after use of the cap removing the base strip including the second adhesive to clear the inside surface of the cap for applying another adhesive prior to subsequent use of the cap.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the first adhesive is placed and adhered on the inside surface of the cap so as to substantially conceal the adhesive and the base strip when the cap is in use on the users head.

' cover strip includes a tab on the end thereof manipuagainst the skin of a user of the cap to prevent entry of water into the cap during use; the steps comprising, employing an adhesive of predetermined length including a base strip and first and second adhesive substances on the opposite sides of said base strip and first and second lated by the user to remove the second cover strip.

4. The method defined in claim 1 employing a tape having a length ranging between 21 and 2,6 inches approximately.

5. The method defined in claim 4 employing a tape I having a width approximately one-half of an inch. 

1. A method of sealing a bathing or shower cap against the skin of a user of the cap to prevent entry of water into the cap during use; the steps comprising, employing an adhesive of predetermined length including a base strip and first and second adhesive substances on the opposite sides of said base strip and first and second cover strips overlying the adhesives respectively, removing one of the cover strips to expose the first adhesive, securing the tape to the cap by adhering the exposed adhesive to the inside surface of the cap adjacent the open edge thereof continuously throughout, placing the cap on the head of the user in use position and then removing the other cover strip to expose the second adhesive while the cap is on the user''s head in use position, adhering the second adhesive to the skin of the user throughout to seal the interior of the cap against water, and then after use of the cap removing the base strip including the second adhesive to clear the inside surface of the cap for applying another adhesive prior to subsequent use of the cap.
 2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the first adhesive is placed and adhered on the inside surface of the cap so as to substantially conceal the adhesive and the base strip when the cap is in use on the user''s head.
 3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the second cover strip includes a tab on the end thereof manipulated by the user to remove the second cover strip.
 4. The method defined in claim 1 employing a tape having a length ranging between 21 and 26 inches approximately.
 5. The method defined in claim 4 employing a tape having a width approximately one-half of an inch. 